Culture, Ethnicity and Mental Health - Essay Example

Culture, Ethni and Mental Health a Racial micro aggressions involves the usual communication of messagesthat are hostile and derogative in nature,in addition to making negative racial annotationsdirected at people of color throughverbal, behavioral, or environmental humiliation perpetratedknowingly or unknowingly (Sue, Capodilupo, Torino, Bucceri, Holder, Nadal and Esquilin, 2007). (b.) The film The Color of Fear(1994) highlights the stereotype that African Americans are killers, lazy, unintelligent and therefore they should be blamed for the continued victimization that theyhave gone through in the past years. After watching the film The Color of Fear (1994) it emerges that people from other races see victimization of the Africans as stemming from the reaction of the society which have experienced aggressions from members of the African American community. Behavioral racial micro aggressions that is evident from watching the film also includes Yutaka Matsumato’s confession that throughout his childhood to the present, he had been socialized to be fearfulwhen in the presence of African Americans where he gives an example of the incident at a bus stopin which his mind reacted had conjured multiple outcomes of a situation when a number of African Americans were approaching the bus stop but when they got there herealized they were also coming from their workplace and are on their way home just like him. (c) Sue et al. (2007) notes research has shownracism as making people of color unjustly disadvantaged in the society in addition to contributing to stress, depression and the feelings ofshame, and anger for the targeted.The negative impact of racial micro aggression can also be explored by observing the effects on the well being and mental health of the victimwhere there is a positive correlation between happinessand self-esteem, life satisfaction, mastery of control, hypertension,and discrimination. Continuedmicro aggressions have a cumulative effect on the African American society which can be overwhelmingto the victim resulting innegative racial relations among members of different races in addition to masking the victims have feeling of self-doubt, frustration,and isolation. Therefore continued exposure to micro aggressions does not only have physical impact on the victim but also has a psychological burden on recipients’ well-being. Micro aggressions can also be narrowed down to the field of counseling given that people of color are also prone to encounter forms of racial biasness from a White counselor. When micro aggressions happen under such circumstances, clients of color are at increased riskof discontinuing the counseling session which means they will not get the necessary help that brought them to the counselor in the first place. Therefore the clientsuspendsthe sessions feeling in a worst emotional state than they were prior to their decision to seek counseling. In such cases, the client of color will mistrust the medical professional’s ability to provide solutions to their problems and might not see the need to seek furthertreatment which will contribute to the continued deterioration of the person’s mental health (Sue et al, 2007). 2. The most important area of improvement for most whites in contemporary society is in the region of the aversive racism, whichinvolves the conflict between the denials of personalprejudice and the fundamental unconsciousundesirableemotional state and beliefs (Dovidio et al, 2002). Many Whites are involved in various forms of racial micro aggressions without being aware of due to the deep rooted socialization process that have made them internalize unfair treatment of people of color without their realization.Therefore, any effort by a White person who is interested in improving the quality of their relationships with individuals from minority groups should start with a psychological analysis of their emotions toward such groups as a way of changing their perception of what people of color are or are not. Dovidio, et al. (2002) assertsthat aversive racism can be illustrated by exploring the normal and adaptive psychologicalprocesses such as individual factors that includingcognitive and motivational prejudices and socialization in addition to intergroup functions that includesrealistic group clashes or prejudiceslinkedwith classification of individuals into in-groups and out-group.Consequently, White individuals need to adopt a welcoming attitude towards the minority groups around them the same way they are to fellow whites and judge them based on their experience together as opposed to the underlying societal prejudices. Having an open mind will enable the white individual to deal with emotional dispositions associated with the minority group including anxiety which is the cause of avoidance and social awkwardness (Richeson and Shelton, 2007). Denial of any negative feelings towards minority groups is also an area that the Whites who aspires to improvethe quality of their relationships with individuals from minority groups needs to evaluate in order to determine the truthfulness of such denials.According to Dovidioet al. (2002) aversive racists consciously advocate for the establishment of egalitarian values in society while denying their negative emotions about Blacks which prevents them from undertaking any public activitythat can expose them as racists. Consequently, whites should look at areas that disguise acts of racism in the pretext of advocating merit for example looking for other reasons such as inadequate qualification when the real reason for denying one a job opportunity is their race (Salvatore and Shelton, 2007). 3. (a) In the field of psychology, being aware of cultural diversity is essential in the way a practitioner handles clients from different backgrounds so that thwey feel welcomed and trust in the ability of the practitioner to deal with the clinical issues that they need handled. Cultural competence for a practitioner in involves being awareand having the requisite knowledge of how factors such as age, gender, race,ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability,language, and socioeconomic affects the professional understanding of human behavior. In the field of psychology, cultural competence is about having clinical skills required of a practitioner to work in the most effective and ethical manner especially when dealing with individuals, groups, and communities from diverse cultures. Consequently, multicultural competency includes other forms of diversity apart from thecommon areas such asAfrican Americans, Native Americans, Latino, and Asian Americans which are thefourethnic minority groups in the US.Psychologists are called upon to appreciate clients as being unique individuals in addition to understanding them as belonging to specific groups with which they are identified. By appreciating the two backgrounds of their clients, psychologists are able to strike a reasonable, responsible, and ethical balance among these factors which will translate to handling each professional situation differently(Hansen Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell and Greene, 2000). (b.) Culturally competent clinicians will have explicit characteristics that are distinguishable by the way they interact with their clients in different situations. To be culturally competent, a clinician must first of all be able to possess recognition of the existence of cultural differences and diversity in society.It is from such recognition that the clinician will look at the available measuresto improve their cultural competence such as increasing self-awareness, examination of belief systems, making descriptions and assessments that are based on facts and direct observation in addition to signing up for diversity and inclusions seminars to further one’s knowledge all of which will make the services offered all-inclusive for clients from diverse cultures.This awareness in addition practicing politically correct communication will help the clinician avoid rushed assumptions and stereotypical assessment of the client. Further, a culturally competent clinician is one that is able to solicit for advice of team members who have experience in dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. A clinician who is open to sharing experiences with team members in an honest manner, while at the same time acknowledging any discomfort, hesitation, or concern will be competent in dealing with clients from culturallydiverse background(Hansen Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell and Greene, 2000). (c.) Among the cultural competence issues is the ability of health practitioners to identify and challenge their own cultural assumptions and stereotypes about a given group of people that results in shifting of one’s values and beliefs. Therefore, cultural competenceissues will be applicable in my career path as I will be able to develop an understandingand the ability to see the world through the clients’ eyes as part of the recognitionthat others might be viewing the world through a different cultural lens. In assessing my own worldview and accepting its challenges and assumptions, I will be open to what clients think based on how their culture has socialized them to react to culturally sensitive aspects of interactions based on views about issues such as gender, age and social status among others (Hansen Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell and Greene, 2000). Culturally competence can be applicable to the field of mental health in a number of ways all which will improve service delivery to the clients coming for medical attention. One key area in which cultural competence can be applied in mental health profession is in the establishment of committed service delivery that is responsive to the various attitudes, values, verbal cues, and body language that clients inherent in each client by virtue of their cultural heritage. Application of cultural competence in the field of mental health will result in the tailoring of health care to the specific needs of the clients which will have an effective timely impact on the client’s recovery. Further, familiarization with the value systems and traditions held by different cultural groups in order to improve treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction is an essential part in the aqpplication of cultural competence. Familiarization with the background of clients as a means of ensuring cultural competency does not mean alteringthe procedures and process of treatment. However, the information extracted from such efforts is a tool for evaluating whether doctor-patient interactions in a particular situation can provide explanations to any discrepancyexisting between the information the patient has volunteered during interactions and the findings of the examination(Hansen, Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell and Greene, 2000). Reference Sue, D. W. et al.. (2007). Racial micro aggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. Dovidio, J. F. et al. (2002). Why can't we just get along? Interpersonal biases and interracial distrust. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 8(2), 88–102. Richeson, J. A., & Shelton, J. N. (2007). Negotiating Interracial Interactions Costs, Consequences, and Possibilities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 316-320. The Color of Fear(1994)[Motion Picture].MunWah, L. (Director). United States: StirFry Productions Hansen, N. D., Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell, F., & Greene, A. F. (2000). Multicultural competence: Criteria and case examples. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31(6), 652-660. Salvatore, J., & Shelton, J. N. (2007). Cognitive costs of exposure to racial prejudice. Psychological Science, 18(9), 810-815. Read More